Percussive well drilling apparatus



Feb. 7, 1933. RP, SIMMONS 1,896,105

PERCUSSIVE WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2f l 1'/ A INVENTOR r/larri 5010110216 Feb. 7, 1933.

R, P. SIMMONS PERCUSSIVE WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTOR Feb. 7, 1933. R, P. SIMMONS PERGUSSIVE WELLvDRILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR'Zriarrif 50111110215* TTORNEY Patented Feb. 7,11933 l i UNITED STATESPATENT oEFlcE RICHARD P. SIMMONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PEBCUBSIVE WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Applicant med amber 2s, 1929. serial110.401,446.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means forinterlocking the drilling head in the follower well casing,

so that the drill head will never drop out of alignment of the wellcasing and become lost in any pockets in the path of the well bore,

or become partly displaced in the lower end' of the well casing,A sothat freedom of operation, or withdrawal, would be obstructed ordefeated.

A 4further object of the invention is the provision of a combined wellcasing and drilling unit, wherein a percussive drill point canbe used atthe free option of the well engineer, or a core barrel, with suitabledrilling means thereon, can be used, and percussive action againsteither drilling means acmcomplished in the casing, without causingrelative rotative movement of one within the other, but permittingrotative movement of@ the combined well casing and drill unit in thewell bore.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a well casing anddrill head unit, wherein the drill will be forcibly held to operate in apredetermined vertical plane, against any tendency to be deflected to aninclined or other plane, by theaction of inclined rock strataor bouldersor rocks intercepting the path of the drill.

It is well known that deep wells seldom extend in a true vertical planeinto the 4.5 ground, and `that many of them are as much as forty-fivedegrees out of the vertical. Thisv is undoubtedly caused by the factthat the drill points employed are deflected by the' unequal resistancewhich inclined rock strata, 5 or obstructing boulders or stones present,and

o nce deflection ofthe drill head starts, it continues 4at an increasingangle.

The more a well casing is out of the vertical plane, the moreexpensivewill it be to construct a well of given depth, the moredifculty and costly will it be to operate, and

`the more frequent will be the loss ofiequipment during construction oroperation.

When the axis of the well casing bends from a true vertical plane,increased eiort may be applied to advancing the casingyby successivecoupling operations, and manipulation of the casing for drillingpurposes becomes increasingly diilicult and costly. The l length of thewell bore increases as it is deflected from a true vertical plane somuch, that the ltotal length may be increased by ifty-percent of thevertical distance between the bottom of the well and its entrance, wherethe inclination of the well is lforty-five degrees. This naturally addsvery greatly to the cost of drilling the well and may determine thatabandonment of further drilling operations should be made.

The present invention provides a practical means for holding thedrilling vunit to a vertical plane, so that aminimum of deiection, ifany, is allowed in th`e progressive deepening of the well bore.

Other objects and advantages of the? in- 8 vention will be hereinafterspecifically pointed out, or will-become apparent, as the speciicationproceeds.

With the above indicated objects in view,

the invention resides in certain novel constructions and combinatlonsand arran -ment of parts, clearly described in theol- .'lowingspecification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whichlatter show an embodiment of the invention as at `present preferred.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the combinedequipment, showing the hammer in its seat position on the anvil, and theplane cutting bits in their cutting positions.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showin the cutting bits retracted, orwithdrawn rom cutting positions.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the percussive drill head removed from thewell casing,

. showing the keyways and keys thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the ball bearingsswivel heads of the-anvil and hammer.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the percussivedrill point.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken oniline 7 -7 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows. d

Fig. 8 isa similar view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 9 is a similar view taken on line 9--9 of Fig. 1. e

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken through the drill head, online 10-10 of 2. l ig. 11 is a perspective view of the assembled groupof a reamer bit and filler blades. Fig. 12 1s a transverse sectionalview,/taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows. i y

Fig. 13 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, showingcombined well drilling units. A l

Fig. 14 is a similar view of a modified combination of welldrillingunits.

Fig. 15 is a similar view of another modified combination of welldrilling units.

Referring to the accompanyin drawings illustrating the invention indetal 10 desigmas the riu head, which is Shown to be of the typegenerally known as a percussive drill. -Thls drill head or unitcomprises the cylindrical body 11, which is formed with an axial bore12, the upper end of which is concentricall' enlarged to provide alchamber 13. To t is cylindrical body 11 the cylindrical anvil member 14is connected by the tapered screw threaded joint 15, which is designedto permit of separation of the two parts. The anvil member 15 isprovided with an integral tubular axial ,extension 16, which extendsupwardly and carries a cap 17 Vwhich is threaded thereon.

- The lower end ofthe cylindrical body 11 is formed with a chamber orpocket 18 whichS receives the cylindrical tool holder 1.9 thesurrounding annular flange lla of the body 11 havin a bevelled loweredge 11a', and the tool older 19 having a bevelled shoul- *der 19a, toprevent dirt from packing between the meeting surfaces of the two parts.The tool holder is formed with anl axial tubular extension or post 20,which slidably fits in the bore or passage 12 of the body 11, and ex-Vtends into the chamber 13 thereof; Relative displacement of the toolholder in said body 11 is prevented b the nuts 21 and 22 threaded on theupper en of the post 20, and adapted 'lco alut against the shoulder 13aof the chamer 3. r

iThe lower end of a pull member 23, in the form of a pipe, is threadedor otherwise coupled to the post 200i the tool holder, and this pullmember or pipe extends slidably through the tubular post 16 of the anvil.member 14, and upwardly of the screw cap 17 thereof.

The upper end of the pull member or pipe 23 extends into thehousing orcylinder 24, vand ,carries a nut 25 which is tightly threaded againstthe end wall 24a of said cylinder orhousing 24. The pull member or pipe23 is provided with an external shoulder 23 which engages the Vbottomface of the end' wall 24a and limits the penetration of the pipieinto'the cylindeu 24.

, he cylinder 24 is provided with a swivel head which includes the cap26, which is bolted to the ring 27, by means of the screw bolts 26a..vThis ring is formed with a horizontal portion 26?) which overlies theball bearing ring 28, disposed against the upper -end of the housing orCylinder 24. The ung y is heldin place by means of the plug ring 29,which is secured by the screw bolts 29a dio rectly to the end of thecylinder 24.

ThisA cylinder 24 is provided with `three openings 30, 31, and 32, inits wall. ,In the opening 30, an air pipe 30a is disposed, and is heldin place by means of the threaded tubular clamping plug 3`0b. This airpipe or hose also extends through the opening 300 formed in theenclosing cylinder' 33, and

thence-upwardly. In the air opening 31 an air hose or pipe 31a isdisposed and .it is held 1n place by means f the threaded tubularclamping plug 311;. The air hose 31a also extends through the opening31e in the eng closing cylinder 33, and thence upwardly. Through tends,and it is held; in place by the threaded the opening 32 the air hose 32aex-.

tubular plug B2b. This air hose also extends through the opening 320 inthe cylinder 33, and thence upwardly.

I The cylinder 33 is coupled to the cylinder Y 24 by means of thelowerend plate 34 and the retaining bolts 34a. This end plate 34 is formedwith an integral flange 34?) which engages the packing material 340disposed in the recess 34d formed inthe cylinder 33'. (An upper end ring35 is'connected to the cylinder 24 by means of the bolts 35a, and saidend plate 35 is also formed with an integral flange 35?), which engagesthe packing material 35e disposed in the recess 35d ofthe cylinder 33.f. The entire cylinder 24 and the parts associated. therewith, -asdescribed', yare venclosed .by the tubular hammer 36, which is formedwith any axial' bore 37 through which-the' tubular extension 16 of theanvil 14 projects.

The upper part of the hammer` bore 37 is `enlarged topro'vide a chamber38 in which the cylinder 24 and its associated parts work,

and the lower part of this chamber is reduced said cap abuts to limitthe play of the hammer. This hammer slides in the tubular extension 39connected by the screw `threaded joint 40 with the tubular body 11.

The upper end .of the tubular hammer is "provided with` a swivel headwhich comprises the ball bearing ring 41, the flanged ring 42, which isheld in place by the plug ,end plate 43 through the medium of screwbolts 43a. Afcap 44 is secured tothe flanged ring 42, by the screws44a..

The cap 26 is equipped wi'th an eye 26 to which thepull and loweringcable 45 is connected, and is further ehuipped with verticalrods 46 and47 which extend upwardly through the cap 4 4 and plug end plate 43, thuslocking the two caps against relative rotation.

The hoisting cable 45 extends through the guide 44a of the cap 44'to thesurface of the well. The cap 44.is also provided with eyes 4412 and 44eto which the hoisting cables 48 and 49 are connected. f 4

The lower end portion of the tubular bod)7 11 is provided withtransverse slots 11e, in which y the movable 'dreamer bits 117 aremounted. .These reamer bits are of segmental construction, as showii inFig. 11, and are each provided with a slot 11g in itsinner end andvconfronting key lugs 11h and 11i. These lugs slidably engage the camgrooves 20a formed in the opposite faces of the integral fins marked 206in Fig. 6 of the shank or post 20, of the tool holder. These cam groovesinclude the upper vertical portions 20c, the intermediate outwardly anddown- .wardly inclined portions 20d, and the lower The fins justmenvertical portions 20e. tioned work in slots of corresponding numberformed in the lower end of the body7 11 above the chamber or pocket 18thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The key lugs have free sliding movementwith the cam grooves so that they will be Withdrawn into the verticaland innermost'portions of the cam slots. Vhen the key lugs engage theinclined upper ends of the cam slots, the outer ends of the'reamer bitswill be withdrawn inwardly ofthe plane of the outer face ofthe wellcasing.

Each of the gaps betwepn .the adjacent faces of the segmental reamerbitsy is'sealed.

by means of companion filler blocks 50 and 51, each of which is providedwith an outrwardly extending finger 52 to enter a groove 53 of thereamer bit. These filler blocks are each formed with a transverse hole54a to re,- ceive the guide rod 54 andthe springs 55,

which play between the reamerjbits and the` taper thread 19d of thepercussive drill bit.

This drill bitis shown to be formed with earth passages 19e which enterfrom Aopposite sides of the tapered drill bit or point and convergeupwardly to communicate with the bore 1.9/t of the drill point, and thusconduct earth to the bore 20 of the tool holder shank or post 20.

The tubular body 11 is provided with external longitudinal keys 11j,which extend from the upper part of the body downwardly in parallelradiall spaced relation to each other, so as to provide keyways 11k ofsimilar number and shape. vThe lower end portions Y of lthe keys 11j aretapered at 11j and the uplper ends of the keyways are tapered at 11 A eThe well casing' consists of a plurality of tubular sections 60, whichmay be an indefinite number,- and which are coupled by screw threadedjoints 61', 'or 'otherwise to each other, to permit ,of easy splicinginvertical line. formation. These casing sections are coupled to thebottom casing section 61, which is formed with a series of longitudinal,parallel, and radially spaced keys 62 and keynways .63 therebetween, ofsimilar design to the keys and keyways of the tubular body 11 of thedrill unit. There is this difference, however, that the keys 62 areformed with transverse keyways 62a, to permit kof addi- A tional lockingmeans to engage the same.

The lower end portion ofthe casing section 61 is 'formed with a bevelledterminal 61 i which is adapted to enter the bevelled grooves l616 in thereamer bits llf, and 610e in the filler blocks 50 and 51, so that thereamer bits arg held in their outer cutting positions when the casingsection 61 and the other sectionsy coupled therewith are seated upon thereamer bits and the filler blocks.

When it is'desired to withdraw theidrill head, the well casing isslightly raised, -to disengage the bevelled lower terminal 61v of saidsection 61, from the reamer bits and hoisting cable 48- connected withvthe eye 44?) of the cap 44, and this causes the fins 2Gb to be shiftedlongitudinally f' with their cam grooves, and this action will retractor withdraw the reamer bits from their extreme outward or cuttingpositions, to theposition shown in Fig. 2, when the cutting endslthereof will be inwardly of the vertical plane of the outer face ofthebodyll, thus permitting this body, together with the per'cussive bitpoint to be wholly removed from the well casing, which remains inthewell, to support the earth against cavingin, and to again receive theequipment. The percussive drill head 19 is driven into the ground bytheforce of the hammer 36, the raising and releasing i of whichprogressively advances the drill head 19 into the ground, displacing theearth "Y the well casing the cylinder 24 may be opened 5 by the removalof the cap members connected to its top, and it will be found that theinterior of the cylinder has been filled with earth. By timing thiswithdrawal for different periods of the descent of the drilling head thegeological cross section through the ground in .which the well is beingconstructed may be reproduced and interpreted.

Whenever material is encountered which is best excavated by the use of acore barrel, the

percussive drill point may be removed from Y the lower end 19 of thebody 111, and a core barrel B connected to the tapered female thread ofthe tool holder. This core barrel would then be subject to thepercussive ac- 20 tion which would be developed by the raising of thehammer and its release tofallby gravity against the anvil.

The core barrel is equipped with drill bits B adapted to drill theground o r rock en` countered by percussive or rotary action. Rotarydrilling action is developed by the manual turning of the Well casing,which insures the turning of the whole drill nnityinf cluding in thisassembly the core barrel, and 0 3 the turning of the drill bits B of thecore barrel by the manual rotation of the Acasing and drill head. At thesame time that the well casin is being turned to produce a rotar driling action, through the medium of the bits B", the percussive action ofthe gravity actuated hammer may .be maintained against the anvil 14,thus causin the rotating drill bits B to shatter the roc or materialencountered by acombined rotary and per- 4 cussive attack. Instead ofthe manual per# cussive hammer action described I may em-y ploy apneumatic hammer unit B to produce 'the required percussiveactionagainst either the percussive drill point, or the rotary core barrel andits drill bits.

The longitudinalinterlockin between the drill unit and the enclosing wel casing per- The improved percussive head when int'erlocked with thewellcasing will be prevented from being displaced therefrom, by downwardmovement, and the cutting tools carried thereby will bev supported belowthe lower end of the well casing, to be expanded to cuttiiig position orretracted or withdrawn from cutting position, while to the lower end ofthe housing ofthe percussive head an ad,

ditional unit or units may be coupled, as shown in Fig. 13.

In this fi ure a core nected` to tlri means of the coupling union orjoint B'. This'core barrel unit is disclosed fully inmy co-pendincrapplication-for patent, Serial No.

barrel unit B is cone percussive ,head unit A,'by L 401,447, fi'edoctober 22, 1929. when it is -to trap earth forced into the same in theprogress of the core barrel through the path f t ewell to be drilled.These metal strips are shifted by means of mechanical elements enclosedby the housing of the core barrel )unit B, and operable, from thesurface of the well. The lower end of the core barrel unit B is equippedwith a.rotary drill head B", N

which may be rotated when the well casing is turned, and which mayshatter the material in its'plath under the percussive action set upwith t e percussive head. Y

When the core barrel has been 'filled with earth or the debris ofdrilling the two units A and B may be withdrawn through the well casingleaving the same in place. The unit 'B is `small enough in diameter toeasily' pass through the lower end of the-well casing when the reamertools are retracted, as shown iny Figs.13,14 and 15. f The pecussivehead cuts a circular plane mits 0f the replacement of any ParticulaYforthe :freel lowering of the well casing.

drill unit orl other equipment, with any other equipment which may befound useful, and -the relative longitudinal shifting of the enclosedunit, Ior the combined rotatipn/ of the whole in the well, to produceany action vwhich can be best accomplished by rotative 55 movement. In.all cases relative rotation of drilling,'varies1from time to time anthis variation calls for the use ot tools or 'drilling units bestadapted for rforming the par- C; tcular work most n d in any condition.

When the units A and B are withdrawn the wall of the well bore wouldhave a'tendency to collapse, especially if composed ofmaterials havinglow cohesive properties,I and fin order that this collapse beprevented-'the percussive head'is supplied with an air jet 80, whichdischarges compressed air into the well chamber formed'by the corebarrel unit.-

This jet is supplied with air from the head (3);. the well, by means o fthe conduit 31*` or .I'n Fig. 14 the percussive unit A is com'- ,binedwith the under reamer unit C and the core barrel unit B, with the latterplaced un-l der the unit C. This` under reamer-unit C is 4 disclod in acopending patent application filed by me October Y23, 1929, n.Serial No.

` The under reamer includes a housin Cl which is provided with a debrishol ing chamber and expansive and retractive reamer tools C", which areshifted Ifrom one position to the other by means of the toggle joint C,which is operated by mechanism "concealed by the housing of the unit C.This under reamer cuts a circular plane for the well casing, and itscuttfng tools are of the kind which rotate around their own axis, so theare adapted for cutting harder materia s than is t e case wl'h thecutting tools of the percussive head, w ich do not move when forced tothe cutting position, with relation to the unit A.

In Fig. 15 the percussive unit A is combined with a core barrel unit CC,which is constructed to trap rock core in 'its holding chamber CCB. Thisis accomplished by means of a lever CC", which is mounted to movethrough a slot in the wall of the inner cylinder which forms the chamberCC. This leveris shifted from one position to another position by meansof the cam CC formed in the outer cylinder CCt of said core barrel.

The lower end of the unit CC is equipped with a drillin head CCS. i

The herein efore described construction admits of considerablemodification without departin rfrom the invention; therefore, l do notwish to be limited to tlie precise arrangements shown and described,which are, as aforesaid, by way of illustration merely. In other words,the scope of protection con-1 templated is to be taken solely from theappended claims, interpreted as broadly as is `consistent with the priorart.

' I claim as new l. A well drilling apparatus consisting ofA a housing,wall cutting tools slidable in said housing, means slidable in thehousing for shifting the cuttin means to cutting posi` housing, a drillpoint, vertically shiftable cam means coupled to the drill point forshifting thel cutting means inwardly and outwardly 'of the housing, awell casing, means between the housing and the well casing forinterlocking the twoto each against relative rotatiive movement and topermit of relative sliding movement, and means 1n saidl housing forproducing. a percussive movement against said drill point.

3. Apercussive/welldrillin apparatus consisting of a well-casing, acylinder in the lower end of the well casing, means for limiting thedownward movementof the cylinder in the latter, a drilling elementaxially movable Y in the housing and operatively 'connected withthecutting tools to Vradially project or retract them depending onthedirection of axial movement, and means for bodily driving the housing toeffect cutting action of the drilling element. l

' 5. A well drilling apparatus comprising a housing,'wall cutting. toolsslidable in said housing, means for interlocking the housing with a Wellcasing to retain it in position in the latter, a drilling elementaxially movable in the housing .and operatively connected with thecutting tools to radially project or retract them depending on thedirection of axial movement, and means for bodily Ydriving the housingto effect cutting action of the drilling element, the housing having anabutment engaged by the drilling element when the housing is beingdriven.

6. A well.,drilling Aapparatus comprising a housing, walll cutting toolsslidable in said housing, means for interlocking the housing with a wellcasing to retain it in position in the latter, a drilling elementaxially movable in the housing and operativelyconnected with the cuttingtools to radially project or retract them depending on the direction ofaxial movement, and means for bodily driving the housing to effectcutting actionI of the drilling element, the housing having an abutmentengaged b housing is eing'driven, and the wall cutting tools beingradially projected when the drillin element engagessuch abutment.

A well drilling apparatus comprising a wellv casing, a percussivedrilling unit having an interlocking connection with the well casing topreclude relative angular-or turning movementbetween the two and preventtheformer dropping out of the lower end of the latter, a core barrelcoupled to the drilling unit and having a limited axialmovement withrespect to the same, and wall cutting tools disposed between the corebarrel and the drilling unit and extended or retracted when the corebarrel is moved axially witl well casing, a percussive drilling unithaving the drilling element when theios an interlocking connection withthe well casing to preclude relative angular or turning housing, wallcutting tools slidable in said housing, means for interlocking thehousing with a well casing to retain it nil-position in the latter, adrilling element axi y movable in said housing and 'operativelyconnected I cutting elements withan earth receiving l .15- wellcasing, aercussive drilling unit hav- 40 axial movement, and an underreamercarried with 5 with respect to the same, and wall cutting1 toolsdisposed b etweenthe core barrel an the drilling unit and 7'extended orretracted vwhen the core barrel is moved axially with v reference totheA drilling unit, the core barrel l0 at its lower-end bein provided withcuttin elements and being o provided above sai with the cutting tools toradially project or retract them depending on the direction of axialmovement, an anvil detachably engaged with the housing at the u per endan hav- 4 ingan upstanding axial y arranged-extension,means for imartingindependent axial movement to the rilling element having a memberextending through said anvil and through said extension, and au impacttool disposed in surrounding relation to said extension, hoisting meansconnected with said' impact tool, and hoisting means connected with saidmember.

In testimony whereof I hereby aix my signature;

RICHARD P. SIMMONS.

chamber. 9. '-A well drilling apparatus comprising a ing an interloc ingconnection with the well casing to preclude relative angularfor'turning4 v movement between the two and prevent the former droppin out of the:lower end of $0 the latter, a dri ling element carried at the lowerextremity of said unit and movable axally with respect thereto andengaging an abutment in one of the extreme positions of axial movement,and an underreamer carried 4 i4 by the unit and radially extensible andcontractible and havin an operative connection 4 with said drillin '/'eement to be extended or retracted when t e element is moved axially withrespect to the unit.

10. A well drilling apparatus comprising a well casing, 'a percussivedrillin unit having an interlocking connection with the well casing topreclude relative angular or turning movement 'between' the two andprevent the former drop ing'out of the lower end of the latter, a driling element carried `at the t t lower extremity'of said unit andmovable axially with respect; thereto and engaging an abutment in one ofthe extreme positions of by the unit and. radially 'extensible and.contractiblev and havin an operative connection withl said drillin eement tobe extended or retracted when t e' element is moved axiallyrespect to the unit', the abutment enp position of the element eiectingenlslion of tlleduiierreamer, we ri ing apparatus comprising a housing,wall cutting tools slidable in said 60 housing, means. for interlockingthe housing with a well casin toretain it in ition in the latter a driing element movable in said housing and operativel connected with thecutting tools to radial y .pro- 56 )ect or retract them depending on thedirection. of axial movement, an anvil detachabl engaged. with thehousing at the upper end an aving an upstanding axially arran extension,means' for im arting indepen ent e0 axial movement tothe rilling elementhavmg a member extending lthrough said anvil and through said extension,and an impact tool disposed in surrounding relation to said extension.es 12. A well drilling apparatus comprising a its'

